Rotary engine.



F. TOMPKINS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION rum) rnn.1e.19os.

Patented Mar. 23, 1909.

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F. TOMPKINS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.18,190B.

9 1 6 ,225 Patented Mar. 23, 1909. 2 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

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WITNESSES: l/VI/ENTUR ATTOAWEY V which the following is a specification.

UNITED STATEfilirgiENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN TOMPKINS, OF NEW DORP, NEW YORK.

ROTARY ENGINE.

No. 916,225. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented March 23, 1909.

Application filed February 18, 1908. Serial No. 416,512.

valves 21 and 22 which either admit the steam or allow it to pass off through the exhaust pi es 23 and 24. The valve stems are providec with levers 25 and 26 that are connected by a bar 27 with a handle 28. By throwing the bar and levers in one direction the engine is caused to turn one way but on moving the bar in the opposite direction the T 0 all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN ToMPKINs, a citizen of the United States, residing at N ew Dorp, in the county of Richmond and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of

This invention relates to rotary engines and has for its object certain novel construcengine is reversed. tions of the pistons and means for operating The steam pipe 20 is provided with a throtsame so that as the motive shaft revolves the l tle valve 29 and while Fig. 1 shows the shaft pistons are automatically positioned to reas being supported at one end by the standceive the steam blast as will be more fully ard 30 it is obvious that the other end of the set forth in the following specification, set shaft may be similarly supported. forth in the claim and illustrated in the (llilfiJ- As the steam enters through one of the ings Where: ports 31 or 32 it acts against the piston pre- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved senting the largest bearing surface and forces engine. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of it around toward the exhaust port on the o same. Flg. 3 1s a longitudinal sectional posite side. The steam must consequent y view. Fig. a 1s a perspective view of one of travel through the upper side of the cylinder as its passage is practically barred through the lower side, and as the drum revolves the pistons also move around, the lugs 16 play ing in theeccentric grooves 17 and causing the pistons to move in and out presenting more or less bearing surface to the steam.

Inter osed between the rod 27 and the lever 26 is a link 33 with a slot 34 through which passes the thumb screw 35 and at the other end is a thumb screw36 passing throughaslot 37 in the outer end of the lever 26. The obj ect of this link is to lock the levers in any po sition which they may be set.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v

In a rotary engine of the character dcscribcd having a cylindrical casing, heads provided with grooves concentric with the axis of the cylinder, an eccentrically disposed shaft carrying a radially slotted drum peripherally contacting the cylinder along with the lower portion of the inside of the cylinder, pistons playing in the slots of the drum and having ugs engaging the concentric grooves in the cylinder heads, steam pipes communicating with diametrically opposite sides of the cylinder and three-way valves in said pipes; levers connected with the valve stems, a bar pivotally connected with one of the levers and having a handle, a locking link havthe pistons. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail vie -r taken through one of the three-nay valves.

This engine consists of a cylindrical case 5 on a foundation 6 and having the heads 7 and 8 with bearings 9 and 10 to support. a shaft 1 1 which carries on the interior of the cylinder a drum 12 and at one end a pulley 13 or any wheel for communicating motion. The drum 12 is provided with radial slots 14 for the reception of the pistons 15 which are adapted to move inward and outward therein so as to confine the live steam in a certain section of the cylinder so that its pressure will force the piston forward and turn the drum and bring into play the next following piston to be similarly operated on. At each of the outer corners 0f the piston is a lug 16 extending lengthwise and adapted to enter a groove 17 in each of the heads 7 and 8 near their outer edges and concentric with the axis of the cylinder or casing. The shaft 11. is journaled eccentrio with the cylinder so that the lower edge of the drum makes contact with theinterior of same at its lowest point and leaving the upper section as a steam chamber \ihich is divided at times by the pistons as the drum revolves.

The steam is admitted through one of the pipes 18 or 19 from the steam pipe 20 but the ac mlssion is regulated by the three-way ing a slot engaging a thumb screw upon the handle bar, and a thumb screw extending through said locking bar and engaging a slot in the second valve lever, thereby enabling the valve levers and the valve controlled thereby to be adjusted and secured in various posltlons.

In testimony whereof, I efliv my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANKLIN TOMPKINS.

Witnesses.

ANDREW E. PRIER, JAMEs F. DUHAMEL. 

